No fewer than 22 people have died in protests against drastic fuel price hikes in Angola, the government confirmed on Wednesday.

Interior minister, Manuel Homem, said that nearly 200 people were injured.

The police spoke of clashes between demonstrators and security forces in several locations and said there was looting and damage to cars.

Since Monday, Angolans in the capital Luanda and other parts of the country have been protesting the higher prices, which the government raised by around 30 per cent at the beginning of July.

The government justified the price increase with the need to reduce the national debt. Until now, fuel has been heavily subsidised in the oil-rich country.

More than 1,200 demonstrators have been detained in the past three days, said police spokesman Mateus de Lemos.

Although the country of 37 million inhabitants in South-West Africa is one of the continent’s most important oil producers, the new fuel prices are high compared to the average income of Angolans.

A litre of diesel now costs 400 kwanza (0.54 dollars), while around half of all Angolans have to get by on less than 3.61 dollars a day, according to World Bank statistics.

(dpa/NAN)